1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a wireless charging device, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a wireless charging device capable of increasing power transmission efficiency by adjusting a vehicle height or a height and gradient of a pad depending on a gradient of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, technologies associated with plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles have been advancing rapidly. The driving force of such vehicles derives, at least in part, from electric energy. There are techniques for charging electric energy including inserting a wired plug connected to a charger into an outlet, as well as wirelessly charging electric energy. Other techniques currently allow a vehicle to recognize a nearby wireless charger when the vehicle approaches the wireless charger, where the recognized wireless charger is arranged as a charging pad in connection with magnetic resonance-based wireless charging.
To increase wireless charging efficiency, it is necessary to accurately arrange positions of coils in a receiving pad equipped in the vehicle and positions of coils in a transmitting pad equipped in the charger. Power transmission efficiency may be maximized when the transmitting pad and the receiving pad are positioned in parallel with each other. On the other hand, a gradient of the receiving pad can be changed based on the gradient of the vehicle, and thus, it may be difficult to maintain parallelism between the receiving pad and the transmitting pad. For example, when the position of the receiving pad in the vehicle is changed, e.g., due to aging of the vehicle, a bumpy road, a tire being worn, etc., the parallelism between the transmitting pad and the receiving pad may not be maintained. Furthermore, with respect to magnetic resonance-based wireless charging, an interval between the transmitting pad and the receiving pad can have a significant effect on the power transmission efficiency.